“Katri!” Frank called out. They were on a time limit now. He didn’t know how long the blessings would hang around, but he was guessing not long.

With the walls gone, Frank saw Deli looking at him, leaned back on the dome of glowing blue ice at the entrance, holding onto her axtstaff, arms crossed, the axe head leaned on her shoulder.

Katri was sitting next to her, on the blanket Frank had brought down, her Light Armour shredded. Frank winced at the cost of repairing one what was that mangled. The torso of it was torn into strips, and the arms and legs weren’t much better. Katri looked like she’d gone through a blender. She was covered in small cuts. Her pants weren’t much better. She had a new dark green shirt on, so she was decent, but something had taken chunks out of her.

At his call, Katri replied: “You don’t have to shout, I’m not deaf.” Her voice was steady, but she sounded beaten down, worn out. She still got up quickly, taking in his situation. She grabbed the blanket and rushed towards him. “I’m guessing those aren’t moving?” She asked, her face shiny with sweat, her blonde hair in small braids flapping around as she moved.

Deli rushed past her, carrying their packs. They settled the blankets down near the orbs of light, with packs piled on each other for a backrest. Frank and Katri had planned to do this lying down, but with the hovering lights, Frank needed to be able to reach them.

He considered offering Katri some of the healing orbs, but squashed that idea quickly. The whole point of this, why it was supposed to be worth it, was opportunity costs.

The longer Frank spent Cursed, weak, the longer he’d be stuck doing watches and patrols, instead of leading his party out on proper hunts, or finding worthy battles. Hunts and battles which were far better for progress and earnings.

Nothing Frank could wish for would give him back six Ability tiers. The sooner he was rid of this Curse, the better.

Frank took his seat, within reach of the lights. Katri dropped down into his lap, straddling him. She was heavy, buff, but careful not to put her whole weight on him. Katri hugged him, loosely, and demanded: “Burn it.”

“You still have enough Health?” He checked, feeling out his mana and Health, following the path Inward.

“Yes. I’s my Health. I’ll jump off, if it comes to that. Burn it.” Her voice was tense. Not desperate, but determined. She was bracing herself.

“It’ll hurt like a hell.” Frank gave her a final warning.

“I know. It’s worth the pain.” Katri told him. She put a belt in her mouth, biting down. The hug tightened, her cheek pressed up against Frank’s, their bodies pressed together.

There really was no reason to delay anymore.

Frank sank into the place inside, where cold and fire warred. Deep into the burns, and out the other side, in a direction that didn’t exist in the real, one Frank could only describe as Inward. The scorching embers were still there, drowned in a tepid pool of water, melted from the snow and ice they were buried in. Frank still couldn’t get near them without burning.

Frostfire was strange, to call up.

Getting close to the embers would burn him. Pushing his mana near them lit it on fire, made flames for his spells. That was all Channelling was, really, directing his mana, and the flames born of it. Brining motes down to the embers, and back out, quickly.

Shaping the motes as they changed and erupted into the real world.

Neither of those means of interacting with the embers created Frostfire. It wasn’t as simple as intentionally burning himself. To make Frostfire, Frank needed to move around his Health. Focus it, into the embers, feed them.

Frank had a feeling that if he had a higher Body, focusing his Health on the embers, trying to smother them with it, would be a way to get rid of this curse. Or at least the embers, which had to be contributing to his pain and suffering.

Having burning embers inside him couldn’t be healthy, but for the magic they gave him, Frank wasn’t about to risk losing the only Wellspring of magic he had.

To make Frostfire, he had to feed the lumps of terrible heat. Focusing on that, and keeping a sharp eye on his Health was a bit too much. It took a lot of effort to keep a steady flow of Health going into the fires, once the cold flames were burning him.

Just moving his health around, in that inward space, felt weird. Like was scoping up water from pool of Health, and pouring it on the lumps of heat, as if they were heating stones in a sauna. Except instead of heat and steam, he got freezing cold flames, so cold they burned.

The pain was excruciating, but Frank powered through it. He didn’t ignore the pain, Frank needed the feedback to help him feel how his Health was doing. He knew in theory each point fed to the fire should cost him another to endure, but with Katri on top and healing involved, he needed a way to make sure. Which meant keeping an eye on his Health levels.

With this, the difference between theory and practice could kill him, or waste a bunch of his Health.

Without time to focus, he couldn’t get his Health to show up in neat numbers, so he had to do the measurements by feel, Instinct.

Frank started them out with six points, and just from that, he was starting to go numb. The pain ate everything else.

“How the hell did I fight with this?” He was slowly growing numb all over, just from the pain blotting the rest of the world out.

Frank had an idea. He took the pain, and grasped it in mental hands. It felt like grabbing a hedgehog covered in acid with his bare hands. Frank pushed the pain behind the wall in his head. Kept the gate open, somewhat, so he could still monitor how the pain was changing, but the sheer distracting, all-consuming volume of it dropped considerably.

Frank blinked his eyes clear, still on fire, and cold all over. Katri was clenched around him, a never-ending rumble coming out of her as the flames licked through their clothes like they weren’t there. The Windblown wasn’t backing down.

Frank’s throat hurt. He’d been screaming, while focused.

It still took most of Frank’s focus to keep the fires going, feeding them another six points of Health, as the cold fire started dying down. The Frostfire flared up, given new fuel. Able to think, watch, with the pain suppressed, somewhat, Frank saw something in that flare of light. Not outside, which was weird, as to Frank it was like he was seeing double, Inward and Out. No, in that place inside he suddenly saw another shape nearby.

It was covered in oily filth and leaking tar. The fires were burning the black tar, turning it into foul smoke. It was against that smoke, shadowed against the diffuse background like a silhouette by the pale blue light of the fires, that Frank noticed them. Dozens, hundreds of thin black lines. As he watched, the pale fires burned them away, threads snapping silently from the flames.

Threads that made up dozens, if not hundreds of black, oily webs, hung all over his inner space, choking it. The dark, oily threads let through his Health and mana without so much as a whisper of motion. They didn’t interact with them at all. The webs weren’t physical or mental, so they probably had to be the form the Curse was taking in this place. A kind of spiritual pollution of his insides.

The Frostfire was only burning the edges of the webs. As each layer was burned off, the webs constricted around the patch of cleared space, filling the gap. It was incredibly inefficient, wasteful.

Which was ridiculous, as the arrangement made no sense, in real space. How could the fires only burn the inner layers of the webs, and then burn something that was outside him, but not the stuff in between?

He couldn’t just Channel the Frostfire to fix it either, it wasn’t his, not really. Mana was responsive, after months spent doing exercises meant to move it around. Health was hard to shift in the first place, and after becoming Frostfire, seemed to have a mind of its own.

But Frank did have a way to move the cold fires around, with his mana. He switched over to the outside view for a moment, and slapped one of the healing orbs, before he made the attempt. Just in case.

“Safety first.”

A rush of light went up his arm. Frank immediately felt better as it passed over him. But only for a moment, as the Frostfire kept freeze-burning him. He’d gone from a bit below half, to almost three quarters, in his Health pool.

“15 points, maybe?” Frank estimated.

It was a lump big enough he wasn’t willing to risk another one, not wishing to waste the healing.

“This is going to hurt. More. It will hurt more.”

Frank readied another six points of Health. But this time, before feeding them to the fire, he took a mote of mana in the other mental hand, and brought it close to the embers. As soon as the mana started burning, he Channelled the fire into threads, a web. One Frank dragged around the embers, as he fed the next batch of Health fuel to them.

As another burst of Frostfire flared, Frank tried to pick it up, spread it around the webs made from his own fire.

It went great and poorly. He managed to lift and spread the Frostfire, but the flames quickly went off course and out of control as they seemed to hit invisible obstacles and break apart. And dragging the actual flames around his insides didn’t feel great either.

In the real, Frank practically bombed himself, a burst of fire engulfing both him and Katri. That was really unpleasant, burning inside and out. The webs did fray and burn away, under the Frostfire dragged along for the ride. Much more of the Curse was gone, but at what price?

Spreading the Frostfire was certainly effective. It was also painful beyond reason or sense, unlike anything Frank had felt, except maybe, when the Gods be damned sky fell on him.

How he kept his focus through all that pain, Katri’s nearly crushing embrace, and the spreading Frostfire lingering all over his inner space, Frank had no idea. In the real, he’d blacked out from the pain. His Health pool was draining, like someone had pulled the plug out. He was nearly dry.

Blindly, and more than a bit afraid, Frank waved his hand through the space where the healing orbs were supposed to be. Still blind outside, most of his ability to feel numbed by the cold, Frank couldn’t see if he caught any. But it was hard to miss two large buckets of Health being added to his dropping pool.

“I am not trying that again.” It was too risky, painful, and costly.

Something pushed him, making his body wobble, and the weight pressing down on Frank disappeared.

Katri was gone. Frank hoped he hadn’t scared her off with the regular fire. But that was all the attention he could spare her.

The cold fires were dying, so he fed them another round of fuel.

*

Frank was in constant agony, but now that he didn’t have to worry about Katri, and wasn’t trying things anymore, this was going well.

He waited until the Frostfire started dying down again, then fed it the next round of Health to the cold fires.

As he was getting low, and still blind, Frank waved his hands through the healing space again. Two more burst of Health filled him, and this time, they overflowed. Not by a lot, but he’d wasted at least a point or two of Health.

Frank cursed his blindness, but kept going. There was no point crying over spilled milk.

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Full again, he went for a much large burn to finish the whole thing off. Hoping a larger burst might catch more of the webs. He fed the last six points into the Frostfire, and when it flared up, threw another twelve into the risen flames. Frank made the last burst as big as he dared.

The wall in his head shattered and liquid agony poured out, scouring his thoughts clean.

***

Deli watched them burn. Katri grunting through clenched teeth, while Frank flared with that pale flame, again and again. Before the third flare up, he reached out and touched one of the hovering orbs filled with gentle light.

On the third burn, actual fire joined the blast, creating a mixed burst of cold and hot air. It was much larger than the others and one that nearly reached Deli. She wasn’t sure what foolish thing Frank had just tried. “I hope whatever that was, it helped, as much as it harmed.”

Katri ripped herself away from Frank and the flames. Not during the big blast, but when they were dying down again.

Frank waved his arm through the circle of orbs, catching two of them.

Katri meanwhile got some distance, and spat the belt out. She was in a lot of pain, and not the kind she enjoyed. It was eerie, since Demonspawn were said to seek every kind of pain.

It was easier to think of her as Katri, when she acted as the cook. Instead of throwing herself at every warm body near her. She beat her fists against the floor, keeping silent, not letting the pain out. Deli couldn’t tell what was sweat, and what tears.

What did come out of her was more of that foul smoke, leaking with every breath. It leaked through her clothes too. She kept her distance from that, circling around. In the sickly smoke, Deli saw tiny candles of pale flame, burning it away.

Frank burst into cold flame again. Deli kept her distance, but was ready to jump in and help, if she could.

While Katri composed herself, Frank burned on.

Deli saw his face through the fires. His eyes were clouded, blind. He swung his hand through the thinned out circle of orbs, and managed to hit two again, leaving only one.

Frank tried to smile. That was no smile. At best, it was the rictus of a man taking the Long Walk.

He burst into flame again. This time, at its height, the fire already on him burst again. Deli lost him in the pale fire, as it grew too thick to see through.

Tense, she rushed in as soon as the fire dropped. Frank was slumped on the blanket, completely out of it.

The last holy orb hovered to the side of him, slowly dropping. Deli grabbed his arm and threw it into the orb. It was his reward. “I’m not going to let him waste it, due to his own foolishness.”

After the final burst of light, she helped Frank down, settling him on the blankets. He was completely out of it again. Her Trial would have to wait.

Deli knew better than to distract a warrior before their Trial. But as soon as she was done with hers, she’d be having another frank talk with Frank.

Katri picked up Lilijah’s borrowed Hunter cloak and brought it over, covering Frank with it. She slipped out of the armour, and laid it to the side as well.

Deli kept a careful eye on her. She did not think the Demonspawn so far gone as to betray them. She was simply not ready to risk being caught off guard, should something nefarious occur.

Vigilance, that was the duty of sworn hands, when their Oathbearer was helpless.

Both Frank and Katri were covered in burns, and smelled somewhat of smoke, from the fires. Katri did not appear worried with her injuries, and Deli had checked Frank. He still had some Health left over. They should heal, with rest.

She didn’t like how Katri was able to stay standing, while Frank collapsed. He’d endured more fire, but that sat ill with Deli. They were his flames, blessed fire at that. That the Demonspawn was more resistant to them said poor things, either of Frank’s resistance to pain, or Katri’s familiarity with the same.

Katri lingered, standing over Frank. Looking down at him strangely. Deli couldn’t read that look. She didn’t like it.

“What more do you want from him?” Deli asked.

Soaked in sweat, and clearly worn down by her ordeal, Katri met her eyes. The need, the clouds in the dull browns were missing. Gone. “It doesn’t change anything. She’s still a Demonspawn.”

It was hard to remember that, with the other woman weighing her, like a warrior would. Alarm trickled down Deli’s spine.

The Demonspawn was strong, Deli knew that. She was injured, in torn up armor, and had just gone through a heavy ordeal. Two of them. Why then did it still feel that of the two of them, Katri was the more dangerous one?

As if she had imagined it, the feeling passed as quickly as it had appeared. Leaving only Katri in its place, only the Demonspawn in different clothes. Someone who Deli could crush with ease.

Katri snorted. Turned her back and walked away. “Tell him I’ll see what I can come up with, when he wakes.”

Deli felt both vindicated and disappointed. Frank had let her go with nothing but debt.

“In the meantime,” she went on, walking up the dome of ice. “he can have his lessons on the Ilvir Mountain range.”

That was nowhere near enough to pay for this.

“But if he wants me to teach him about Demons,” the Demonspawn went on, “he has to convince you to vouch for him. I’ll not spread that knowledge to one not guaranteed by at least one honest soul. Even one sworn to him.”

With that, Katri disappeared up the tunnel, leaving Deli stunned.

“Frank wants to learn about demons from her? But why? The Landkarls will never allow it. He’s a stranger, an outsider. He lacks the good Name to earn permission for such a thing.”

Maybe he’d asked the priest already? Worked out some kind of deal?

Deli doubted that, but if he had, that would be impressive. A Hellspeaker was a respectable profession. She could ask Priest Ir-Dulak about Frank-

Her Oath tensed in warning. “What?” Deli asked, unsure who she was asking. “Surely we should speak with a Priest, if he wants to meddle with demons?”

Disbelief filled her, at the wall of denial she faced. “What foolishness is this now?” she asked the air, almost expecting the Worldvoice to answer her.

Deli turned to Frank, clenching her fists and wishing she had something to throw. That he was awake to feel it too. “Frank, you better not mean to hide this from everyone…” she warned him.

Now she had several matters to address. “After my own trial.” Deli reminded herself.

She couldn’t get distracted. Couldn’t waste this chance, if she wanted to keep up with Frank and keep him out of whatever trouble his latest mad scheme was cooking up. She needed to be reliable, for her voice to carry weight in his council.

“At least he isn’t speaking in tongues, this time.”

It was a small mercy, but Deli would take what mercy she had.

***

Frank woke up on the floor of the cave, chilled. Even with the blankets, the floor was cold. The very first thing he saw was a deeply unamused Deli standing over him, arms crossed, messy blonde hair brushed out of her face. Her eyes sharpened on his.

“Before we get to whatever that is.” he asked her, forcing himself to sit up. It wasn’t easy. He felt weak all over. His skin, muscles, everything felt like it had been through the ringer. Frank was covered in fresh burns. Not deep, permanent ones. Like fresh bruises they’d fade tonight. He was pretty sure he would have noticed if he bottomed out. “The wonders of Health.”

“Hell, even my burns have burns.” Frank noted, watching his bare hands. He felt terrible and probably looked worse. “And why is my beard so long?”

Frank rubbed his eyes, and felt the messy bush on his top lip. Licking his upper lip, he felt wild hairs there. “Since when do I have a moustache? Hell, when was the last time I shaved?”

Feeling messed up, and messy, Frank asked for some water. Deli pursed her thin lips, but fetched it for him. After thoroughly washing out a stale mouth and his face, Frank felt a bit more human. Even with the constant aches, and moderate pain in his right arm, he felt a bit more like himself. Not good enough to stand, but better. His hair still itched, but he wasn’t washing that in this cold.

“Maybe I can arrange for a bath when we get home.”

Blinking bleary eyes, Frank saw the rest of the cavern. Patches of softly gloving ice on the floor were reflected by other patches of clear ice on the walls. Soft blue light filled the floor and wove a web of shimmering beams of blue all through the room which contrasted with the stacked stones of the wall, standing in stark, brutal relief with the rest of the natural cavern adorned in smooth, pale grey stone.

The broken stone teeth were stacked like slain warriors, lit up from all sides by reflected light. The ice, on the floor, on the walls, shimmered in the light.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Frank realised he was gawking. Scratching the back of his head, he apologised: “Sorry, Deli, I got distracted. Just give me a moment to see how it went, please.” Frank told her, focusing on calling up first his Health, then his Lifecord.

Health = 20/42

Mana = 6

“Ok, that isn’t terrible.”

Aspects (Limit)

Physical (18)

Mental (18)

Mystical

Agility: 4-1 /+1

Body: 3-1 (7+4/40)

Reaction: 4-1

Strength: 3 /+1

Instinct: 3 (5+1/40)

Logic: 5-1

Presence: 4-1

Will: 5

Destiny: 10 (10)

Fortune: 1 (10)

Magic: 0+1 (8)

Soul: (4-1) 2

Gift of Life

Health = 42

Recovery – 3/day

Gift of Heart

Mana = 8

Recovery – 15/day

Gift of Self

Guiding Light

Warm Smoke

Skills (+Applied,-Inactive, Unable,)

Traits, +Skills

Agility = 3

-Basketball 2

+Smooth 2

-Reflex 2

-Deflect 3

-Riding 1

+Carving 2 (8/30)

Instinct = 3

-Empathy 1 (0/20)

-Reflexes 2

+Bargaining 1 (9/20)

-Survival 1 (4/20)

+Channel 2

+Frostfire 1

Destiny = 10

Summoned Hero (Divine Blessing) (162/352 days) – Destiny 4

Scorched (Creational Curse) – Destiny 3 (18%)

Outsider (Invited Invader) – Destiny 2

Foolish beyond Reason (Achievement) (162/352 days) – Destiny 1

Body = 2

-Conditioning 1

+Soldier 1 (0/20)

+Pain Management 1 (11)/20)

Logic = 4

-Ecology 4

+Biology (5) 4

+Science 2 (0/30)

-Mathematics 4

-Tactics 4 (0/50)

-Strategy 2

+Runes (Red Sun) 3

+Runes (Eversnow) 1

Fortune = 1

Reaction = 3

+Awareness 3

+Search 3

-Ignore 2

-Riposte 2

+Mage Staff 1

Presence = 3

+Extrovert 2

+Public relations 2

+Command 3 (9d)

-Pilgrim 1 (4/20)

Magic = 1

Banked Еmbers I (Scorched)

Strength = 3

+Lift 2

-Spearman (Red Sun) 2 (0/30)

+Medium Armour 2 (0/30)

Will = 5

+Temptation 4 (3/50)

+Resistance 4

+Principle 1

+Persistence 4

+Ignore 1 (4+4/20)

Soul = 2

The Wonder of Magic II

+Pale Gate Greeting I

He felt elation and disappointment war in him for a moment. Elation won.

Laughing from the bottom of his heart, Frank let the joy out. Stretching out his fingers, hand, and knee. Even with the fresh burns, the skin didn’t pull or catch so much. Not anymore.